Descriptions of engineering: student and engineering practitioner perspectives

In this paper descriptions of two of the stakeholder groups in engineering (engineering students and engineer) are presented. These descriptions are at the national level and consist of demographic and practice data. They enable us to develop a picture of possible paths of engineering students as they enter the workforce. The years of focus are 1996 and 1997, the most recent years where there are complete data on both students and practitioners. In addition these descriptions serve as background for the next stages of the study of engineering education currently ongoing at The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.